Geographie Character: Northern Division. 97 
limestones. These limestone formations reach the Arctic Sea in a north-west 
‚ direction, but form the western shore of Lake Winnipeg and extend along 
the other lakes to the west. Upon these rest the comparatively soft rocks of 
the Cretaceous and Laramie formations, which characterize the area of the 
great interior plain and these are in turn covered by thick deposits of glacial 
drift (clays, sands, silt and gravels) upon which the nature of the superficial 
soil depends. 
The Red River of the North is an important stream flowing from its 
source in the State of Minnesota and falling into Lake Winnipeg through a 
swampy delta. Its chief tributary is the Assiniboine, which flows in its 350 mile 
(573 km) course through some of the most fertile land in the north-west. North 
of these flow the Saskatchewan with its affluents (1032 miles long — 1660 km) 
rising in the heart of the Rocky Mountains and emptying into Lake Winnipeg, 
which disposes of its surplus waters to Hudson’s Bay through the Nelson River. 
The country is one of numerous lakes. Lake Winnipeg the largest is 260 miles 
(418 km) long, 5 to 65 miles (8—ı05 km) in breadth, and 42 to go feet 
(13—27 m) deep. 
Hudson Bay is an immense .navigable inland sea extending half way 
across the continent at its widest part. The depth of the water in the bay 
averages 70 fathoms, excepting near the strait, where it deepens to 100 fathoms. 
The water of James Bay is brackish, where as in Hudson’s Bay proper, the 
water is as salt, as in the main ocean. The tidal wave enters at the strait and 
hrst strikes the western shore. It rises 11 to 12 feet (3—4 m) at Churchill and 
in the converging shores of the estuary of the Nelson River, it rises 15 feet 
(5 m), but as the tide passes round the coast to the south and east, it becomes 
lower, Cape Wostenholme is 2000 feet (608 m) in elevation and rom ra 
land falls southward to a low and level coast, as far, as Cape Dufierin, where 
it again rises to 1000 feet (304 m) to continue round the entire basin jr 
Coast line of low relief. The rivers draining into it from the za are the 
Nastapoka, Great Whale and Little Whale. The East Main River Dy 0° 
arg approaches Lake Mistassini and by another branch reaches far ın 
the heart of Labrador. 
The peninsula of Labrador, located between the wu eye 
Hudson Bay, may be described as a tableland having a gene en I kom 
1500 to 2000 feet (456—608 m) above the sea. The plateau Song r2 Be Dash; 
the Atlantic Ocean in stupendous cliffs increasing in Bent tawer the shore 
The shore of Ungava Bay is low, but toward Cape Wr een Port- 
“gain rises, The eastern shore of Hudson Bay is low Ele Ernie 
land: Promontory and Cape Jones, where a range BEER rtant rivers, 
Close to the coast. The plateau is drained 
Vhich usually hurry down in swift continuous rap! Labrador. The streams 
“urentide Mountains mark the boundary of southern (af he St. Lawrence 
kn on the south slopes of these mountains flow Er t ER . ge 
River and Bay. Another group of rivers empty into Hudson “ 
H 
Arshberger, Survey N.-America. 
